Determining Two Types of Motorists on a Bad Weather Day

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 The weather condition outside is one of the many factors that many motorists often consider before deciding to drive. If the weather is fair and with no signs of precipitation, then it is obvious that they can drive their vehicles. Without any visual obstructions, drivers are able to make sound driving decisions, as well as react to any hazards that may come their way, therefore avoiding collisions or other accidents.

But what if the weather turns out to be bad? The best safety measure is to not drive at all, since bad weather conditions could prevent them from making sound driving decisions due to low to zero visibility. However, there are times when the weather unexpectedly turns bad while drivers are on the road.

As a precautionary measure, they have to drive slowly, especially that there is low to zero visibility or that the roads are slippery, which could trigger an accident if not taken into account. In these situations, drivers can be classified into two types. One is the extremely timid type and the other is the reckless type.

The first type is someone whose intentions are good, but are realistically bad. They are those who drive at very, very low speed during a bad weather day, overestimating the danger that lies within such a situation. When this happens, expect a major build-up of vehicles lining up on a roadway. While other motorists would try to get past these types of drivers, it is possible that an accident may occur, mainly because of being too careful.

The second type, on the other hand, is those who don’t seem to care about the consequences of their actions, given the high risk that an inclement weather condition brings. They are the ones who do not slow down a slippery wet road, as if they are riding down the road on a sunny day. Such a reckless attitude behind the wheel in an inherently dangerous condition may result in an accident.

These types of drivers should not be imitated or emulated. For many expert litigators such as a Los Angeles car accident attorney, whenever people drive under such a bad weather day, it is best to move along slowly and with caution, but still maintaining a considerable speed.

Curbing Road Accidents Involving Teenagers

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Teenage drivers are the most common victims in road accidents these past few years. According to a Los Angeles car accident lawyer, teenage drivers are most likely to figure in road accidents.

What makes teenagers at higher risk in road accidents?
Despite the information they have acquired from driving lessons and even after driving tests, teenage drivers have very minimal experience in driving vehicles. This inexperience makes them less capable of making the right decisions when demanding situations happen. Add this to a teenagers’ generally reckless attitude, then you have an accident waiting to happen every time they are behind the wheel of a car.

Not too long ago, a teenager behind the wheel of a car in Newport Beach together with four friends figured in an accident that got him and all of his passengers killed. An unlicensed 17-year-old Adbulrahman M. Alyahyan, drove the Infiniti travelling southbound on Jamboree Road, north of Island Lagoon suddenly veered off the road, slamming into a tree. The impact was so strong that it severed the vehicle and caught fire. All of the five children occupants of the car died at the scene.

What can you do to help stop accidents involving teen drivers from happening?
A Los Angeles attorney shared that driver error has been the most common reason why car accidents involving teenagers happen. He added that driving the influence and distracted driving are also the two major contributors as to why these kids end up in fatal crashes.

One thing that you can do is enroll your children in reputable driving schools. These will give them the right knowledge that they need when the time comes that they will be driving. Also, by being good role models to them, these children can pick up your driving style and can end up emulating you. You can also spend more time training your kids yourself. More than being able to instill in them good driving practices, you can also use this as a special time to bond with them. While you are at it, you can better guide your kid in doing the right thing while they are behind the wheel.

Teenage drivers can really get irresponsible and immature at times. But by being there for them and guiding them, you can help contribute making your kids better motorists. This could help make the roads safer for everyone using it.

NHTSA Study Reveals Greatest Safety Risks To Drivers

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One driver’s undivided attention is one very important thing to ensure everybody’s safety on road. That is why as a driver, you need to drop everything the moment you step on the car and take the driver’s seat. The reason for this is that even the smallest distraction can cause catastrophic accidents that can leave people injured or worse, dead.

Taking distractions away
Given the very bad effects of distracted driving, the government, through the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been coming up with various efforts to put an end to distracted driving. One of the many efforts done by these agencies had it releasing guidelines that can help minimize in-vehicle distractions that can affect one’s driving. According to the DOT, as affirmed by a Los Angeles accident attorney, any activity that require drivers to take their hands off the wheel or their hands off the road  when using them is classified as a cause of distraction. The most common examples of such distractions while driving are one’s reading and/or sending of a text message through their mobile phones. Another is the use of video-based equipment for communications and entertainment. This includes video phoning or video conferencing. Finally, displays of types of text like text messages, web pages and social media contents.

NHTSA studies
NHTSA’s “The Impact of Hand-Held and Hands-Free Cell Phone use on Driving Performance and Safety Critical Event Risk” is a naturalistic study that the agency conducted to help put an end to distracted driving. By determining the source and the effects of distraction to drivers, the NHTSA hopes to come up with solutions that will help soon end distracted driving and the accidents that it brings. These are some of the points the agency has discovered through the study:

• Visual-manual tasks degrade a driver’s focus and increases the chances of getting into a crash by up to three times
• It is found that text messaging, browsing, and dialing are the ones that cause the longest duration of a driver taking his or her eyes off the road that increases the risk of road accidents by up to 1.73 times

These findings are used by the DOT in its “Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving”; a safety plan that has been launched by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. This plan aims to come up with a more systematic and strategic approach that can help the government end distracted driving, which can greatly lessen the amount and extent of damage to property, injuries, and deaths by putting a stop to accidents. A Los Angeles attorney believes that with the citizen’s support, these programs initiated by the government will bring about results that will make American roads safer.